Sleep and dreams

Self-knowledge and personal growth Relationships, work and leisure Values and ethical living

Black and white photo of a person sleeping on a train with their head on a blanket near a window with a blurred view outside.

Sleep and dreams

idea

The brain’s twilight zone: when you’re neither awake nor asleep

Neuroscientists are demystifying this in-between state, uncovering its role in memory processing and its creative potential

by Célia Lacaux

Photo showing a man’s reflection in glass with blurred people and tree branches in the foreground.

Values and beliefs

idea

What a dream helped me see about the politics of sovereignty

A moment of insight captured the danger in our widespread ‘sovereigntism’ – and how we ought to relate to each other instead

by Rupert Read

Painting of a child seated at a table with a white cat on a red background. A bowl of fruit is in the foreground.

Sleep and dreams

guide

How to embrace being a lark or an owl

Skip the advice about training yourself to rise early or burn the midnight oil. Your natural rhythms are your best guide

by Shayla Love

Photo collage of a surreal bedroom scene from the perspective of a person in bed, featuring floating books, striped bedsheets, wall art, a window, and a bedside lamp.

Altered states

film

A surreal ode to the wee hours when daily anxieties meet sleepless dreams

Directed by Christine Hooper

Photo of a person walking a dog on a sunlit forest path with a warm, orange glow in the background.

Emerging therapies

idea

Could dreams during anaesthesia help to heal life’s trauma?

Scientists are studying the dreamlike states produced by anaesthesia – and their potential benefits for people with PTSD

by Shayla Love

Mixed media artwork on book pages with painted figures and snake overlapping text. Pages titled “The Interpretation of Dreams.”

Sleep and dreams

idea

The reason we dream might be to bring us closer together

Research has tended to focus on what dreams do for us when we’re sleeping – but what if the benefits play out the next day?

by Mark Blagrove

Photo of a bear crossing a dark road viewed from inside a car, dashboard visible in foreground.

Sleep problems

guide

How to calm your nightmares

Whether bad dreams stir you awake occasionally or routinely, these pre- and post-nightmare strategies can help alleviate them

by Katy Jakle

A person with a head covering climbs a rope ladder surrounded by bees in a mountainous area with smoke in the background.

Values and beliefs

film

A sacred dream sends one man on the perilous trail of toxic honey in Nepal

Directed by Ben Knight

A vintage black and white photo of a biplane flying over a city with a castle on a hill and dramatic cloudscape.

Sleep and dreams

idea

Five ways to take control of your dreams

Lucid dreaming lets you shape your dreamscape, whether your aims are practical or fantastical. These tips can get you started

by Christian Jarrett

Change and self-development

idea

Personal transformation can start with a whisper, not a bang

To understand personal transformation, we should listen to the incessant whispers in our stream of consciousness

by Jennifer Windt

Photo of a person lying in a car boot with legs sticking out, parked cars in background.

Sleep and dreams

guide

How to nap

Whether it’s to recover after a late night or to boost your learning abilities, there’s a science to napping effectively

by Ruth Leong & Michael Chee

Black-and-white photo of lava running down a rocky landscape towards three blossoming white trees under a cloudy sky.

Sleep and dreams

film

From landscape to dreamscape, using the medium of Hawaiian lava

Directed by Kurtis Hough